Cajun Chicken Soup

I know it is only February, but this morning the birds were singing.  They must be trying to explain that Spring is on its way.  It is above zero, and there are puddles from all the piles of snow.  Melting snow is a "very good thing"!  

I hope you aren't tired of homemade soup yet.  I realize that winter is drawing to a close, but I wanted to share this yummy one with you before we leave the comfort food behind for awhile.  It is a wonderful recipe with all kinds of "good for you" ingredients.  :)

I found this delicious homemade soup recipe on Pinterest.  It was from Diddles and Dumplings.  

Cajun Chicken Soup (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1" cubes)
1 large zucchini (sliced, then cut in half)
3 stalks of celery (chopped)
3 carrots (sliced)
1 onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning (divided)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry pasta
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (divided)

Instructions:

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in dutch oven, or large pot, over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning, place in dutch oven and brown on all sides. Remove from heat.

Place 1 teaspoon of oil in dutch oven and add zucchini, celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Sautee for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are just starting to become tender. Add diced tomatoes, parsley, thyme and cajun seasoning and cook for additional 1-2 minutes. Add chicken back to mixture. Add chicken broth and bring soup to a boil.

Once soup comes to a boil, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add pasta and kidney beans and cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.


When I made this soup, I didn't have Cajun Spice. So I looked a recipe up online.  There are many.  I made a small batch, just big enough for this soup recipe.

Cajun Seasoning Recipe

2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
2.5 paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

This was a real hit in our house...and you really have to take those when you can get them!! ;)


Tanya